Allegorische titelpagina met de neergeslagen Afgunst 1669

Adriaen Lommelin created this allegorical title page with the defeated Envy as an engraving. Notice how the composition is structured around a central globe, a sphere of knowledge dominating the scene, with figures arranged in dynamic opposition. An angel, radiant with divine light, stands triumphant, piercing the prostrate figure representing Envy with a spear. This is countered by the poised stance of the female figure, possibly representing piety, who holds a cross while standing alongside a shield. The snaking forms introduce an element of disruption. The figures at the bottom draw the viewer's eye downward, grounding the celestial battle in a human context. The stark contrast between light and shadow emphasizes the ideological struggle, a visual rhetoric typical of the period. The very act of engraving, with its meticulous lines, reinforces a sense of order and control, even within the tumultuous scene it depicts.